Tag Archives: summer

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The long island is definitely one of my favorite drinks. It’s baffling to think that so many things together can create such an unexpected flavor. My inspiration for this drink was ginger tea… which I love, so I decided to spice up the classic long island recipe!

You Need:
-1oz Vodka
-1oz Gin
-1oz Tequila
-1oz White Rum
-1oz Triple Sec
-1oz Ginger Simple Syrup
(combine 1cup of water with 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of sliced, fresh ginger. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer for about 5 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool before straining into a container.)
-Juice from half a lemon
-Coke to fill

One:
Fill a tall glass with ice.

Two:
Add 1oz of each liquor to the glass.

Three:
Add the 1oz of ginger syrup, juice from half a lemon, and top with Coke. Stir with a bar spoon or a straw. Garnish with a lemon twist and a wedge!

I love the simple twist this variation adds to a classic drink. Plus it’s perfect for summer!

So new thing on the blog today! I recently obtained my bar tending license, and mixology is something that I’m really interested in, so I’ve decided to start messing around and experimenting with some things and different types of drinks. I figure I may as well share some of these endeavors with all of you!

Daiquiris are a pretty great summer drink, and the strawberry one is definitely the most popular. They also usually come in a frozen form. For my daiquiri, I decided to leave out the frozen part, as well as incorporate fresh berries!You Need:
-1 1/2oz White Rum (I used Bacardi)
-1/4oz Simple Syrup
-Juice from 1/2 lime
-1-2 Strawberries
-Shaker & some ice

One:
Cut the strawberries into smaller pieces and put them in the bottom of the glass you’re using. Use a muddler (or if you’re like me and don’t have a muddler, the back of a spoon) to smash up the strawberries a bit.

Two:
Put the remaining ingredients into a shaker with a few ice cubes. Shake for a minute or so, then strain into the glass on top of the strawberries. Done!

So it is now time for my monthly photo series! I decided to title this month ‘June in Bloom’ partially because (like usual) I have a lot of flower shots, and partially because it sounds kind of nifty…

This month there are a lot of daisies in the field by my house. I enjoy this. Daisies for sure make me think of summer.
Honeysuckle is also in abundance. I love honeysuckle. It smells so sweet and reminds me of my childhood. Have you ever tried honeysuckle nectar? Its fantastic. I used to spend a lot of my time pulling apart honeysuckle blooms in order to get to the sweet nectar.

Lots of lilies have been blooming in our flower beds.
I bought a basil plant a few weeks ago. It’s doing well and that makes me happy! It reminds me of the origins of this blog…

I actually have a DIY for you all today! I don’t often do those… Mostly because I don’t post a lot of things that work well as a DIY.. well except recipes… but you know what I mean!

This DIY is for a really simple (but really cute!) summer top!

I used thelace curtains I thrifted a while back for my fabric, but you can use whatever you like!

One:
First things first, you need to take a few measurements. Measure both around your waist and then from your shoulder to your hips (or however long you want the shirt to be). Add about 15 inches to your waist measurement so the shirt will be loose. Double that amount and measure out a rectangle of your fabric. (Your waist +15 then x2 for one side and then the length of your torso plus a few inches for the other side).

Two:
Okay now fold that rectangle in half (hamburger bun style not hot dog style!) and cut it in half.
I guess I could have just told you to cut two rectangles from the beginning… but I feel like this is easier. Less measuring and what not.
So now you have two rectangles of fabric!

Three:
Now it’s time to pin the two pieces together. If your fabric has a print on it make sure the printed sides are facing each other. Pin the sides together being sure to leave gaps for arm holes. Then pin the top together just a few inches from the outsides. Make sure to try it on with the pins before you sew!

Four:
Sewing time! If you have a machine, stitch the sides together making sure to leave the arm holes open so you don’t have to rip out the stitches… (I definitely didn’t have this problem…) Then stitch the few inches you pinned at the top. If you don’t have a machine then this part isn’t much fun… just hand sew it all. That takes a long time, but don’t fret, it can be done!

Five:
After you’ve sown the top and sides it’s time to cut out the neckline. This is simple. Just cut a swoop from the beginning of each of the seams on the top. Do this on the back too. I made the back swoop a little less though.

Six:
Now comes the time to hem everything up! Pin and hem the neckline, the sleeve holes, and the bottom. Use either your machine or hand sew! After that you’re all done!

So pretty and so easy! I hope you guys liked this DIY and found it easy to follow!

I know its been some time… you see, I recently had to move back home with my parents (something I’ve been completely dreading for awhile now) so I can job hunt and save up a bit. The problem though is that their internet is absolutely horrid… It takes so long to do anything on it I’ve not felt like dealing with a blog post. Today I finally have something I feel would be irresponsible of me not to share with everyone…

Avocado Popsicles

I had my first experience with these tasty things last summer from a lovely company called Streetpops. They have the most fantastic Popsicles in the most interesting flavors. Anyways, I tasted their avocado one and fell in love. It didn’t occur to me to try and recreate it on my own until almost a year later!

Of course my pops aren’t the same. Probably not at all. But they are creamy and delicious. I will guarantee you that!

You will need:
-One ripe avocado
-3/4cup of yogurt (I used Yoplait Vanilla but if you like them less sweet I would use original flavor)
-1tbs of simple syrup*
-A pinch of salt

*Simple syrup:
Combine equal parts water and sugar and bring to a boil on the stove top. Cool and store in a sealed container in the fridge.

Process:
Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth and there are no longer and avocado lumps. Pour into Popsicle molds and freeze!

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Welcome!

Hi!
My friends call me the whale.
My real name is Sondra.
I like to be creative. Scratch that. Being creative is my life.
I'm an interior designer. I love to thrift.
I sew, crochet, cook, craft, paint... I do a lot of things.
This blog is a documentation of some of my endeavors.
I hope it inspires you to do something creative as well!
-The Whale